Success Stories
Kevin Barrett maps a new career in GIS systems
Kevin Barrett was one of hundreds of people laid off from Monaco Coach in Coburg, Oregon in 2009. Monaco was one of Lane County’s largest employers but could not resist the economic downturn sweeping the nation.
Kevin had worked as a molder operator. In March 2009 he made the decision to return to college and pursue an associate degree as a way of qualifying himself for higher paying jobs. By that time, the market was flooded with dislocated workers and he knew he needed a competitive edge.
“Having a good work history just doesn’t cut it in this economy,” said Kevin. “Employers are looking for someone who stands out from the masses.”
He came to Lane Community College, received a scholarship through the Workforce Investment Act, qualified for financial aid, and picked up a part-time work-study position at the college’s workforce development office. Here he began helping others like himself to find employment and training opportunities, asses their skills and abilities and show them how to research labor market statistics to find the most suitable career opportunities after the unsettling event of being laid off. “I knew I had to pursue at least a bachelor’s degree and I needed to find a career field I enjoyed with a good labor market outlook. GIS was it.”
As a student, Kevin earned a 3.93 GPA although he hadn’t been in school in over 15 years. He thrived in math and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) classes. He earned an associate of arts Oregon transfer degree in June 2010 and was hired full-time on the college’s grants implementation team. In this position he administers training programs that provide opportunities for low income and dislocated individuals.
Kevin is not done yet. This fall he will attend the University of Oregon to pursue a bachelor’s degree in GIS. He will continue working at Lane part-time and may even use the college as a test case for an idea he has to develop GIS systems for tracking and reporting grant funded training programs.
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
Published by Lane Marketing and Public Relations, October 2010.
